Monday, February 10, 2025

ONE PIECE 110ONE PIECE 110 by Eiichiro Oda
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Huge fights are happening, pure chaos. The elders, a buster call, and best of all, Vengapunk himself stealing the show.

He's really something, and no doubt. Almost *all* the secrets in the series come out here. Not just to us, but to the whole damn world--and it's about the world, the Void Century, and of course, a lot of it is about Nika.

Luffy's still an idiot, but Bonnie is shining like a diamond.

This stuff is damn amazing.

To my synesthesia, I smelled oil and hot metal in the bright, bright sunshine.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to requests. Just direct message me in GoodReads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.

Arctunn.com

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The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed Virtual Graffiti (The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed #1) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed Numina (The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed #2) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed The Tale of the Reluctant Spider Jockey (The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed #3) by Bradley Horner

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Sunday, February 9, 2025

ONE PIECE 109ONE PIECE 109 by Eiichiro Oda
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brilliant. Again.

If the end of the previous volume wasn't emotional enough, we get the real payoff of Kuma and Bonnie at the beginning of this one. I'm shocked and elated and actually screaming at the page. Yeah, it's that kind of thing. I'm affected by it as much as "I want to live" or "Aaaaaaacccceeeeeee!".

But things just get HAIRY as hell after that. We've got the BIG fight. The elders. Luffy. The Giants. All the Pacifistas. It's crazy. I'm loving every second of it.

To my synesthesia, I feel like I've walked into a Bed, Bath, and Beyond. An overwhelming panoply of smells assaulting all my senses, almost KO-ing me. It's not something I can handle too much of, but for a brief time, it's kinda everything all at once and transcendent.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com

Come check out my new covers!
The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed Virtual Graffiti (The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed #1) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed Numina (The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed #2) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed The Tale of the Reluctant Spider Jockey (The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed #3) by Bradley Horner


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ONE PIECE 巻百八 〝死んだ方がいい世界〟ONE PIECE 巻百八 〝死んだ方がいい世界〟 by Eiichiro Oda
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Damn it, Oda!

I'm catching up again, but just when I thought it might just be non-stop SF action on Vengapunk's high tech island, with an epic battle between Luffy and Kizaru, we get thrown into a heavy, sweet, and gorgeous flashback featuring none other than Kuma.

Kuma.

So. After reading that, I broke into tears. Oda has a real talent for causing a massive release of emotion in his readers. In me.

And now I'm raging. I really, really hate the world government. Fascism in its purest form, right here.

I just can't get over how good the writing is. It completely re-interprets all the huge scenes from before, deepens everything, and makes me CARE so much.

To my synesthesia, it reads like a cherry lollipop--if the only memory I had of cherry lollipops were the ones that were given to me when I was a child by the biggest, sweetest, bear of a father figure in my life. The father figure who would sacrifice everything and anything to save me--and does.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com

Come check out my new covers!
The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed Virtual Graffiti (The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed #1) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed Numina (The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed #2) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed The Tale of the Reluctant Spider Jockey (The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed #3) by Bradley Horner

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Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Re-Read 2/9/25

Honestly? Middle-book syndrome. It's still good, but I have to compare it to the first.

That being said, once I got through all the moaning and groaning between Katniss and Peeta, their mismatched love-life, I found the bones of a pretty good story with only a few moments that made me ask, yet again, how the hell they got there without an author forcing the issue.

Did I hate it all? No, not at all. I was rooting for them all BECAUSE I wanted to see the government fall. They deserve it. So I cheered these baby steps of rebellion, of an eventual mass-movement. It was fun.

Even if I felt like I was living off a land that cried because I didn't love it enough, like those fried rats in the trees, it was still fun to re-visit. My synesthesia thought they tasted like chicken, so hey, I'm not complaining.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com

Come check out my new covers!
The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed Virtual Graffiti (The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed #1) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed Numina (The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed #2) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed The Tale of the Reluctant Spider Jockey (The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed #3) by Bradley Horner

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Saturday, February 8, 2025

Dark UniverseDark Universe by Daniel F. Galouye
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm of two minds on this one. For sheer enjoyment, I thought this was middling at best, very much an early 60's schlock SF, but thanks to Richard Dawkins' foreword and obvious love for the tale's underlying idea, I'm willing to be generous.

What's so good about it?

Ah, well, a whole post-apoc where everyone's blind, and the worldbuilding surrounding it. Dark Universe indeed. And no, this isn't a grand-scale post-heat-death beauty. Alas. THAT would have been gorgeous.

When it comes to my synesthesia, I just smelled mushrooms and damp in this novel. No butter, no heat, alas.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com

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The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed (Book 1) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed (Book 2) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed (Book 3) by Bradley Horner

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The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Re-Read 2/8/25

I originally read this over 15 years ago, somewhat flabbergasted that this Battle Royale knock-off would take off so hard. But it did, and I was also somewhat annoyed that so many other great SFs were still not getting the love they deserved.

But after reading it, I think I kinda saw the appeal. I mean, after all, it was a mirror darkly to our own world, of youtube and monetization and sponsors. And yes, these books are the mother to Squid Games.

On re-read, getting my head out of my butt since then, I suppose I just enjoyed the almost Romeo and Juliet feel, the adventure, and the rebellion for exactly what it was. Good entertainment.

Squirrels and all.


My synesthesia tasted fried eggs as I read this. Not squirrels. So, in this, I feel like I got the proper kind of protein in my mental diet.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com

Come check out my new covers!
The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed (Book 1) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed (Book 2) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed (Book 3) by Bradley Horner

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Friday, February 7, 2025

Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 221, February 2025Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 221, February 2025 by Neil Clarke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Bodyhoppers" by Rocío Vega - (4*) Solid SF, a good heart and comfortable upload-tech. The point is the heart, though. Reminds me port stories of old.

"King of the Castle" by Fiona Moore - (4*) A rather perfect title for a bunch of kids (or at least hard-off) kids being a kids after the fall of civilization. Who knew rugby could be just about everything? Oh, right, it IS.

"We Begin Where Infinity Ends" by Somto Ihezue - (5*) Easily my favorite story so far. It's rather pastoral and sweet and interesting despite all the broken bones. Indeed, it's so grounded and personable, I hardly need to focus on the light SF aspect.

"A Planet Full of Sorrows" by M. L. Clark - (4*) This started out as an easy great story--mostly because I love the language and the density of ideas, the worldbuilding. Unfortunately, while the ending was kinda funny, it didn't entirely blow me away. Still, for a tale of alien exploration, it was pretty fascinating.

"The Hanging Tower of Babel" by Wang Zhenzhen - (5*) For the sheer nostalgia and pathos. Hell, for the depression it brought upon me. It, like everything, dies--but to have a double whammy like this? Come on...

"Numismatic Archetypes in the Year of Five Regents" by Louis Inglis Hall - (4*) There's hardly anything SF about this, but perhaps there is with Fantasy... at least in the sense of fake kingdoms. That being said, it's a cool micro-inspection of a brutal world from the eye of a coin-maker. Very interesting.

"Celestial Migrations" by Claire Jia-Wen - (5*) A great little extra-solar corp0-migration that has ALL the feel of a really bad job and the exegesis of living up to your parent's wishes--and choices gone wrong. Well, now, isn't that rather universal?


Solid collection of stories this month. I was surprised so many of them were river-themed or named. Cute little thread by the editor, if true and not just serendipity.


For my synesthesia, I'll just say it was a decent, if not brilliant, 7 course meal. All decently cooked, if not searing my tongue.



Personal note:
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Arctunn.com

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The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed (Book 1) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed (Book 2) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed (Book 3) by Bradley Horner

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The Shadow Throne (The Shadow Campaigns, #2)The Shadow Throne by Django Wexler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Solid flintlock epic fantasy. The story is your basic evil advisor plots and takes over the kingdom, with a strong female lead dressing up as a man to join and then lead an army, but don't let that deter you from reading it.

It's solid. Good characters. The buildup to the rebellion and the things that happen after are both satisfying and expected.

If this doesn't sound like a resounding endorsement, it's only because I've read quite a lot just like it. I do like the magic that shows up, but it's more like an ultimate cheat code rather than an integral part of what makes the rebellion work. That's how it goes, though, for good or ill.

At least to my synesthesia, it has the feel of dust in my face, a smoky gravy on the tongue. Not unpleasant at all, but it can grate when the dust builds up a bit too much.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com

Come check out my new covers!
The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed (Book 1) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed (Book 2) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed (Book 3) by Bradley Horner

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Thursday, February 6, 2025

The Wandering Inn: Volume 7  (The Wandering Inn, #7)The Wandering Inn: Volume 7 by Pirateaba
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

While I may not be reading this like a traditional web serial, I totally get it. I feel like I'm binging a 600 episode show, complete with a vast cast of great, interesting characters in a fantasy world. The balance between comfort-food, humor, progression, humanizing the big bads, and epic freaking battles is putting this right at the top of my lists for great stories.

Here's the thing: what it lacks in being special in writing craft, it more than makes up in being accessible and truly vast, interesting. I like just about EVERY single character, even the ones I'm supposed to hate. They all have their rough spots, but damn, I'm simply having a great time.

If I were to be honest, I'd give this a 3.5 for writing, a 4 for ideas, and a 5 for pure enjoyment. Obviously, I'm weighting my review on enjoyment. I'm just excited, heart-warmed, and amused all the time.

To my synesthesia, this book is like a gigantic cupcake with red frosting and tons of really delightful sprinkles. It's special, too, because I never get full and it doesn't put on weight.

I do feel sorry for my bookshelf, though. These books are HUGE honkers. :)



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com

Come check out my new covers!
The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed (Book 1) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed (Book 2) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed (Book 3) by Bradley Horner


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Tuesday, February 4, 2025

The Thousand Names (The Shadow Campaigns, #1)The Thousand Names by Django Wexler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

By this point, I can I say I've read a ton of epic fantasy, and a good deal of those are full of gunpowder and mages, generally landing on the full war-campaign side of the fantasy genre.

This novel, I must admit, is kinda old-hat. Of course, back when it came out, I'm sure it was a huge success.

That being said, I did enjoy it on its own merits. It has everything a war-campaign fantasy fan would want, including some intrigue, big bads that genuinely surprise the heroes, and a sprawling world.

I like it in small doses, myself, unless it really goes above and beyond the norm. I'm willing to keep on with this, knowing that he's been a respected name in the field.

It even has the feel of military rations. So, at least to my synesthesia, it hits all the targets on my tongue. :)


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com

Come check out my new covers!
The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed (Book 1) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed (Book 2) by Bradley Horner The Electric Nidhogg and the Seed (Book 3) by Bradley Horner


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Monday, February 3, 2025

The Wandering Inn: Volume 6 (The Wandering Inn, #6)The Wandering Inn: Volume 6 by Pirateaba
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Near perfect for enjoyment, I loved this book on many, many levels. Mostly, its quality of STORYTELLING and how it builds on everything that came before makes this an automatic win for me. It's not perfect. There are a few circle backs that are annoying, but the good FAR outweighs the bad.

That being said-- Wow.

If you're this far in, with all the epic fantasy bits kicking some serious ass, filled with both depth and breadth, then you know.

This cake is rising nicely. And yes, we can have it and eat it too. So rich.


Personal note:
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Sunday, February 2, 2025

The SpellshopThe Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This had that near-perfect pitch of "I'm a total book-nerd introvert finally finding a place to BE, and BELONG, with others who just accept me as I am."

If you're not looking for that, then fine, but if you ARE that type, this one is a feel-good novel with romance, magic, a bit of conspiratorial fluff, and comfort.

I really enjoyed it. It's a genre in itself.

It's also comfort food of a different aspect: I swore I could smell the raspberry jam as I read it, with all the fresh bread I could bake.



Personal note:
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Saturday, February 1, 2025

Storm Cursed (Mercy Thompson, #11)Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

More like a 3.5 rating.

Decent novel, entertaining enough to get back into the series after feeling somewhat meh about the series as a whole. A few bits of pretty wow action/magic sequences with a whole bunch of meandering doesn't really equate with an even, all-rounder. But, like I said, it does have its moments and I did eventually come back.

This one was fine. No real complaints, but I still just thought it was fine. Politics, goblins, slight carryovers from previous novels. It was fine.

But after having read so many UFs over the years, and not following the bandwagon of this series as it comes out fresh, I can't really yell with the other fans.

My synesthesia tells me this smells of french fries. Fast food french fries. Probably McD. Of course, some people like that crap--but me? Not so much. I feel like I'm going to regret it.



Personal note:
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Friday, January 31, 2025

The Sunlit ManThe Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First off, I'll just mention my impression of this book without the name Brandon Sanderson attached to it.

Read as a standard adventure SF, it frankly rocks. It has the reluctant hero crashing into a benighted town (or rather, an INVESTED Cosmere hero escaping from undead mercenary spacefarers, barely escaping from his life and out of funds (investment) only to find a really great, deadly world where the sun burns all it touches. Add your tyrants, your desprate populace, and a whole lot of big action, and we've got ourselves a rare example of what made early SF great: a western dressed up super smart and it's flashy enough for any big-time fan of concept-driven space opera.

Honestly, I would probably be pointing at this one as an example of what I'd most want to see on the market right now. We're far outgrown the westerns, according to the publishing industry, but the westerns haven't outgrown US. Indeed, a little rough justice, a little desperate KINDNESS, sounds just about right.


As for the whole Brandon Sanderson thing? This one is a direct carry-through from Dawnshard. Same character. Not that you have to know that. This is a perfect example of the wanderer motif. Pick it up anywhere, and enjoy.


Tasty tasty sunlight on the tongue. That's my impression. Sparkling clear light going down my throat. Nom nom.


Personal note:
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Thursday, January 30, 2025

The Wandering Inn: Volume 5 (The Wandering Inn, #5)The Wandering Inn: Volume 5 by Pirateaba
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So, I'm well beyond hooked on this. It just has the right pacing and the fearlessness to go far out afield to develop brand new characters over grand stretches of story, get me to love them, and fill me up with an entirely different view of this world. Funnily enough, each time this happens in the previous books, there's no switching back and forth between our other established characters until much later, but IMHO, this is a great feature. I feel grounded at all times. I care. And in this one, I seriously cared. I even teared up more times than I can count.

I'll tell you a secret. It may not be a huge secret, but it's one that is probably a huge, huge secret when it comes to those in charge of the normal publishing industry: I, and quite a few like me, absolutely ADORE huge books. I'm not talking about huge series, of which this is also one, but huge single books, as well. There's something very special about wandering in an absolutely enormous world, getting to know every aspect of it, falling in love with each character that shows us, and settling in for that potentially epic betrayal that might come with the obvious conflict to come.

In that respect, it's just like Wheel of Time. Staying away from your core characters isn't a bug. It's a feature. And going back over important scenes from their points of views, with all their secrets, is actually all kinds of wonderful. What seemed rather innocuous in one moment gets blasted with intense meaning and danger the next.

And best of all? We get to take our time. We're allowed to FEEL the slow, inexorable danger, know the vast motivations of the the great evils and all those who would oppose or at least be obliquely belligerent. And I'm talking about whole armies, here. Many armies. And single runners, innkeepers, grizzled old war heroes, ant queens, drakes, and gnolls. The small and the big events are given equal care here.

I'm frankly rather impressed. All along, I've been enjoying the hell out of this, all the silly bits, the slow comfort bits, as much as the grand danger and action bits. I think this series is simply filling my heart.

Or my stomach. With cake. Great fluffy cake with icing so sweet. But it's not an everyday cake. Oh, no. I feel like I've waited years, years of missed birthdays, and now Erin has come to me with something really special. Wondrous, even.

:)


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Thief of Time (Discworld, #26; Death, #5)Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Re-read: 1/29/25

Strangely enough, even after multiple readings, I find myself loving this novel more and more and more. Or is that more divided by two but the squared by 72, for the number of average heartbeats per minute?

Ah, never mind, I'm just gonna stand here and spin little flowers of time until somebody puts a broom back in my hand.

Truly, this one just one gets better with age. Or if not, age, because I'm stuck in an endless now, at least a function of one moment of age.

And with that, I eat a piece of chocolate. And not only a piece, but an endless panorama of Ankh Morporkian chocolates, of which I can absolutely taste through the page. And yes, a hint of the future Foul Old Ron, I believe, but so faint as to not drive away all my future readings.

Fully recommend, even for any new readers, especially if you want mysterious monks, personifications of high concepts, a little apocalypse, and a broom.



Re-read: 7/29/19

Cheese and Chaos, time and death, the grand auditors of the universe, and every kung-fu movie ever made.

Does this sum up this novel?

Yep, pretty much. :)


Some parts in the middle dragged a bit, but getting all the horsemen together and Ronnie sped it up a great deal. And is it just me, or do Ronnie and Gaspode need their own novels? An epic team-up, perhaps? Maybe it's just me. And, oh, the end this novel actually brought a tear to my eye. :)



Personal note:
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Tuesday, January 28, 2025

The Truth (Discworld, #25; Industrial Revolution, #2)The Truth by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Re-Read 1/28/25

All the Olds fit to print! Cause you know that people don't want News. They only want what they already know, so print those Olds! :)

This is, what, my third or fourth time readING this?

What can I say... it's just that good. I especially had a much greater-than-expected time with the assassins this time around. So fun. It's like a cocoa-shea butter balm for the soul. Equal parts witty, entertainING, and wise.




Original Review:

Re-Read

Ahhh, the start of the industrial revolution, as seen through the eyes of The News, Discworld style, and it's Ing fun. Ing right, I say! Ing stuff keeps bleeding through from our universe to Discworld and some might say the folk there JUST AREN'T READY for change and crap like this, but ING THAT.

Dibbler has his finger on the pulse of the time all right... even if it's bleeding cause he cut it. And Word? He's all right. The truth is, he's just getting caught up in the spirit of the Ing times.

Maybe not my favorite Industrial novel in Ing Discworld, but it serves its journalistic bleeding satirical Ing edge. :)



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Witchcraft for Wayward GirlsWitchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I went through a number of assumptions and revisions on my opinions as I read this book. From expecting to see an utterly witchy (it is) narrative, to being surprised that most of the blood and guts of this horror isn't where I expected it to be (childbirth), to the ultimate FOCUS of this novel. I mean, I actually expected a great deal of revenge for the things that religious-funded compounds creating an adoption-racket would put actual GIRLS (14-15 yrs old) through.

In actuality, I came away from this with a little peace, on a lower, individual level, despite the amount of outrage this book made me feel on the whole.

On the other hand, this book is so much more chilling than I originally believed, in retrospect.

Why set it in 1970 America? Because in January 22, 1973, Roe v. Wade came into being. Before then, there were coat hangers, bleach douches, kicking of bellies, and starvation.

The horror in this book is reality. Sure, there's a bit of witchy action going on, but the true horror is THAT reality, and the chilling realization that we're going BACK to that time.

So, 1970's America, I once thought that you were a dark age with a few shining lights. I thought we had learned something from this. After all, Boomers WERE the little girls in this tale. You'd think you'd want to prevent this from ever happening to anyone else again.

But no. Welcome to the next mini-dark age. That is the true horror.

As for my peace? Again, it's an individual thing. As in, what we can't change, we just try to accept, to move on. But this is paltry comfort. Ineffectual at best.

As I read this, my synesthesia screamed stale bread and uncooked pieces of meat in my tasteless soup. But that was mostly due to the setting and the horror. Of being trapped and refused any choice.




Personal note:
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Monday, January 27, 2025

The Puppet MastersThe Puppet Masters by Robert A. Heinlein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Re-Read

I remember reading this years before the atrocious movie was made in the 90's. I so hoped it'd be on the same level of Starship Troopers, but alas. At least we had Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which was a direct rip-off of this Heinlein novel and its success in the early 50's.

Here's the cool bit: Heinlein was just writing a schlock commentary on the Red Communist Scare and the evil winds that blew in McCarthy's era. The fact that it goes on to be a rip-roaring action/spy tale that's very much in tune with the feel of all the war/spy movies and books of the time is just an added bonus. Don't expect it to match today's sensibilities. Indeed, men are real men and women playfully scold or entice them, for good or (seeming) ill. Jury's out for me. I just know it's a product of its time.

I suppose what I like best about this novel is the anti-clothing taboo. Such a funny thing to read, considering the day and age.

As an SF, I think it's well on the level of War of the Worlds, with then-updated sensibilities. It was just a fun ride. For my synesthesia, it comes across like oranges. Uneaten pulp, just the discarded rind, with the texture and pleasant smell of something right from childhood.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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Saturday, January 25, 2025

Usurpation (Semiosis, #3)Usurpation by Sue Burke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So, the good and the bad.

First, the good: I really wish there was a lot more idea-centric SF, ones that push all those boundaries that need to be pushed. The idea of sentience may be old hat, but when it comes to those species right here on our planet, and how often we ignore them because they're different, it feels like THAT is a field that needs to be explored ever more deeply. So, enter Sue Burke, who gleefully does just that in the first two novels.

And then, at the end of the second book, shows us that the differently intelligent is coming home to Earth. That left me ecstatic.

This book was the promise, and a lot of that promise panned out in the third.

Now, for the bad: While the writing wasn't horrible, the novel didn't start out with a whole bamboo-takeover of the planet. Indeed, there was mostly just humans being idiots and hateful (no surprise there) and a war that seemed just so unnecessary. I'm not saying it was unrealistic, but I kinda felt like we should have gotten something more than a dystopia with a bunch of sentient species kinda wringing their hands wishing that people (all kinds) oughta just get along.

Yeah. Well. That's kinda the whole thing. People like me have been crying about that since we were young and are unpleasantly shocked, as if we're total morons, every time that others get ugly. Like when they just want to burn it all down.

Of course, that completely ignores the follow-up question: what comes after? Burke gives us a long time-span to ask and answer that question, but it still feels unsatisfying. Mostly, everyone is locked in a life-and-death battle of ennui.

Unfortunately, I came out of this feeling like I ate bland soup. No salt, no spices, and few chunks of anything hearty. It's just broth for my synesthesia.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com




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